The present invention generally relates to a puzzle and a method for forming the puzzle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a puzzle for educational and instructional purposes. The puzzle includes pieces representative of a known set of pieces such that the pieces are only arrangeable in a known order for the set.
It is, of course, generally known to provide a plurality of pieces that can be arranged forming a puzzle. The pieces typically are uniquely configured such that only one piece connects to another one of the pieces. Such puzzles can be simplified in nature for children of young ages and can also be substantially more complex for enjoyment and challenge for individuals of all ages.
Typically, puzzles are made from a plurality of planar pieces. The planar pieces, when connected, form the puzzle on a single plane identical to the plane of any one of the pieces.
At least one alphabetic puzzle or toy is known from U.S. Pat. No. 264,066 to Crandall. This patent discloses a toy obelisk composed of hollow sections wherein the top and bottom of each section is open and their sides embellished with, for example, letters of the alphabet. Each section has the form of a pyramidal frustum with their tops and bottoms open and so proportioned with relation to each other so as to form an obelisk when one section is placed on top of another section. The edges of the sections, when so placed, are contiguous to and coincident with the edges of the sections immediately in contact with them. On each side of each section is painted on, for example, the capital letters of the alphabet. In arranging the several sections, a child, for example, learns the order and proper arrangement of the letters of the alphabet and is made familiar with the characters of the alphabet.
However, such an arrangement is not necessarily instructive of the order of letters since an obelisk may be merely formed by the child by arranging the pieces in a manner such that one piece sits on top of another piece so as to form contiguous tapering side walls of the obelisk. If the wrong piece is chosen by the child, one piece merely fits into another piece or over the other piece without regard to the letter or order of the characters on each piece.
A need, therefore, exists for an improved toy or puzzle and a method for stacking where the characters of the toy or puzzle are representative of a known set of characters and the stacking thereof can only take place in the known order of the set.